COAL GROVE – Where’s a state patrolman when you really need him? The Columbus Bishop Ready Silver Knights utilized their decisive speed advantage to beat the Coal Grove Hornets 32-12 Saturday night in a game that was closer than the final score.

Sunday, September 26, 1999

COAL GROVE – Where’s a state patrolman when you really need him? The Columbus Bishop Ready Silver Knights utilized their decisive speed advantage to beat the Coal Grove Hornets 32-12 Saturday night in a game that was closer than the final score.

Coal Grove, 0-5, pounded the ball on the ground for 235 yards as Jason Adams ran 26 times for 143 yards and Dean Mader rushed 16 times for 102.

But the speed and quickness of wingback Antoine Harris and fullback Jeremy Happ were too much for the Hornets to overcome. Happ had 110 yards on 13 carries while the lightning fast Harris had 34 yards rushing and 96 receiving.

"They say speed kills, well, their speed was the difference tonight," Hornets coach Nick Miller said. "Just their pure speed hurt us. Physically, we beat that team. They were able to make big plays."

The Hornets dominated the first quarter, running 20 plays to only five for Ready. Still, the Hornets found themselves behind 7-6.

On the Hornets second possession, they marched 78 yards in 12 plays with Josh Fields going the final 3 yards on a keeper and it was 6-0 at the 2:06 mark.

We found something we could do. I’ve search all year, and I think we’ve found something we could do," Miller said. "(Assistant) coach (Joe) Rowe on the sidelines said just keep pounding the ball and we did it with some pretty good success."

It took Ready (4-1) just two plays to answer as Mark Estrella bolted 53 yards for a touchdown. Steve Miller’s conversion kick made it 7-6 with 1:20 on the clock.

Ready took a 13-6 lead late in the first half with a quick four-play drive. Quarterback Rocky Pentello hit Happ for 13 yards, Harris ran for 13 more, Happ ran for 6, and then Pentello hooked up with Harris on a flag route for 28 yards and the touchdown with 2:13 left in the half.

The Knights took the second half kickoff and went 59 yards in six plays. A Pentello pass to Harris for 37 yards to the Hornets 11 set up Estello’s touchdown run on the next play and it was 19-6.

Jeff Hamilton returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the Ready 29, but the Hornets fumbled the ball away at the 8-yard line.

Bishop Ready put the nail in the coffin with a drive that started at the end of the third quarter and culminated on Happ’s 1-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 25-6

But Coal Grove wouldn’t quit. The Hornets drove 67 yards in 10 plays with Adams racing around right end for the score to make it 25-12 with 7:01 to play.

Coal Grove’s onside kickoff attempt failed to roll the necessary 10 yards and Ready had the ball at the Hornets 48.

A 34-yard run by Happ to the 8 set up his own touchdown run two plays later from that spot and it was 31-12 with 5:10 to play. Miller kicked the conversion.

Coal Grove opens Ohio Valley Conference play Friday at South Point.

"We didn’t get anyone hurt tonight and we should get a couple of players back, so we should be in good shape," Miller said.